Mayor Beng Climaco together with Vice Mayor Rommel Agan and Councilor Crisanto de la Cruz recently spearheaded the Investment Priorities Plan (IPP) Workshop that reviewed and discussed the City’s Investment incentive code and its amendments.

The workshop, held at the City Hall conference room Sept. 18, was participated by the Investment Incentive Board and the Technical Working Group (TWG) as well as the Investment Promotion Services Division.

The review of the incentive code is purposely to make it attuned with the times.  The discussion included a brief introduction on the Implementing Rules and Regulations and an in-depth discussion on the Investment Priorities Plan, some of which were lifted from the Board of Investments (BOI) of the Department of Trade and Industry. Comparisons were also made with the Davao City Investment Incentive Code with its priorities made to serve as reference.

The Investment Incentive Board also wanted to prioritize the operating policies of the Secretariat and be guided by the policies that govern the Investment Incentive Board and the Technical Working Group (TWG). Specifically, on how to present and evaluate using a point system.

Participants were asked to vote on what they think should be the top ten (10) investment priorities of the city which were based on the existing 15 Investment Priorities.

The participants that comprise the Investment Incentive Board include the Mayor, Vice Mayor, SP Chairman for Trade and Industry and representatives from the Business Permits and Licensing Office, City Treasurer’s Office, City Planning and Development Office, City Engineer’s Office, National Economic Development Authority, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Labor and Employment and the Zamboanga Economic Zone and Freeport Authority.

The private sector Board Members include the Zamboanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation Inc., the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Highly Urbanized City Agriculture and Fishery Council, Hotels and Restaurants Association of Zamboanga City, Industrial Group of Zamboanga City Inc., Zamboanga City Bankers and Financiers Association, and the Southern Philippines Deep Sea Fishing, Association, Inc. The outcomes of the IPP Workshop include the presentation of the Investment Priorities Plan for 2019-2021 to the next Investment Board Meeting, the updated application for Incentive Form and a visit to the Zamboanga Economic Zone and Freeport Authority on October 4 for benchmarking. (Investment Promotion Services Division PR)